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Tennessee Titans: Draft Thoughts Start Early

By Randy Sharber

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As a Tennessee Titans fan you start thinking draft early in the season.

The Titans got their franchise quarterback with Marcus Mariota this past year by being so bad they received the second pick of the draft. I expect the same position this year within three to four picks.

So who do they look at? Well it has to be a defensive player, as they have none. The Tennessee Vols have better defensive backs than the Tennessee Titans. It is bad. Placing Coty Sensabaugh or Blidi Wreh-Wilson  on a receiver that can run is like putting gasoline on a fire. It is explosive, and highly frowned upon.

But you really do not have to throw the ball on the Titans. You can just hand it off up the middle on a dive play. There will not be a Titan lineman or a linebacker that takes offense. That will net you 10-15 yards normally against this defensive front. It did today in Cleveland.

Yes, I’m a little down. The Titans let a very bad football team beat them today Johnny Manziel led the Browns with an early touchdown pass, and a late touchdown pass. He threw a 60 yard touchdown and a 50 yard touchdown to Travis Benjamin today.

Oh yes. Benjamin also scored on a punt return. Titans were beaten every way you can be beaten.

They could not block, they could not run, they could not pass, and they could not defend. On any level.

I warned it was not as good as it looked last week. It will probably not look as bad as it did today. But closer to today than last week.

The Titans got off to a great start as Taylor Lewan shoved hands in the face of his defender on the first play. The game was over there. The Titans had 1st and twenty, and stayed there the rest of the day. It felt like 1st and fifty most of the afternoon.

It was billed as Johnny Manziel vs Marcus Mariota. Mariota was never allowed to answer the bell. Manziel threw a touchdown on his second attempt. It went for 60 yards over the overmatched Sensabaugh. Game over at that point.

Mariota was accosted all day long. He did what he could do. Mariota did throw two touchdowns on the day. The first was a nice toss to tight end Anthony Fasano. The second was to Dorial Beckham-Green to cut the lead to seven late.

The Titans were never in the game. however. They were down 21-0 in an exact role reversal from last weekend. They were beaten physically in every aspect.

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After the poor start of the Titans on their first possession, the second was actually worse. After Manziel threw the 60 yard touchdown to start, the Titans resumed their offense. Mariota turned around and handed the ball to Terrance West.

West. who I thought would have a big game, bobbled the ball like it was a gift to his former team. I tweeted “Trojan Horse?” at that point. Dexter McCluster ended up being the Titans featured back for whatever reason today. He had 98 yards on just ten carries.

Sankey had 42 yards on 12 carries, and Terrance West had 10 yards on three carries. Guard Chance Warmack went out early with an unspecified injury. It was not a good weekend for anything Alabama obviously, The Titans can not afford to lose Warmack this early.

So the Titans are what we thought. However, I am impressed with Mariota. He made a few bad decisions, but for the most part played pretty well for a qb that was harassed all day long. The Browns defense said Aloha to Mariota several times up close and personal. There was nothing he could do.

I was impressed that this team did not shut it down at 21-0, but kept playing hard.

As good as the Titan plan was last week, it was equally as bad today. I really did not see a plan offensively at all. I really did not see a defensive plan either.

Look, as I wrote yesterday, the NFL is fickle from week to week. They are all professionals, and all can play good from time to time. This was just a game the Titans needed to win. There won’t be many more games where they have the talent to compete.

As I said earlier in the year, if Mariota turns out to be Peyton Manning this season it won’t matter in wins and losses. This team is lacking talent in key areas. Let’s look to the draft, and start thinking defense.

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